Bernadine Flanagan

Since joining the Centre for Nutrition and Food Science in 2004, my work has focussed on food structure and how it changes during digestion and fermentation. I use NMR spectroscopy and wet chemistry techniques, to characterise polysaccharides particularly: starch, plant cell walls, dietary fibre and cellulose. My research has resulted in the publication of 93 papers with over 6000 citations and a H-index of 39 (scopus). I regularly review papers for Food Hydrocolloids and Carbohydrate polymers. I have co-supervised eight PhDs to completion and am currently co-supervising four PhD students and am principal supervisor to one PhD and two masters students.

After graduating with a Bachelor of Science (Honours, 1997, UQ) and PhD in Inorganic Chemistry (2002, UQ) I worked with Prof David Fairlie (h-index 104, 42, 140 citations) to study peptide synthesis and high-field, multi-dimensional NMR.

I have practical experience with in vitro and digestion and fermentation and havecollaborated to perfect a batch fermentation system to compare the fermentability of a number of complex dietary fibres using human faecal inoculum. Using this methodology, I have studied how the chemistry and architecture of dietary fibres affects the digestion and fermentation of starches and dietary fibres. My Skills in NMR spectroscopy have enabled me to develop methods for quantifying starch molecular order and to quantify Short Chain Fatty acids and other fermemetabolites.